Lacy describes something decorated with or resembling lace, having delicate patterns of holes and threads woven together. A lacy tablecloth has an intricate design of open spaces and fine fabric. Lacy curtains let light filter through their patterns. Frost on a window can create lacy designs, and a spider's web can look lacy in the morning dew.

The word captures a particular kind of delicacy: it's thin and fragile, with patterns of openwork that are usually decorative rather than functional. When you see lacy leaves on certain plants, you're looking at foliage with natural gaps and delicate veining. Some cookies are called lacy because they spread out thinly and develop tiny holes as they bake.

You'll also hear lacy used metaphorically. A writer might describe lacy shadows cast by tree branches, or lacy foam left by ocean waves on sand. The word suggests something intricate, airy, and often beautiful, like the way snowflakes create lacy patterns or how ferns unfold their lacy fronds in spring.